How the ‘Mission Impossible’ Director Christopher McQuarrie Saw the “classic movie star” in Henry Cavill

WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 22: (L-R) Christopher McQuarrie, Tom Cruise and Henry
Cavill attend the ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ US Premiere at Lockheed Martin
IMAX Theater at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum on July 22, 2018 in
Washington, DC. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)

In the world of power-packed action cartels, Henry Cavill is the household name for every breath. Whether it is from his chiseled-core exposure in Immortals or the eagle-eyed perfectionism in The Witcher, Cavill’s demeanor goes way beyond ordinary conduct. Over the years, as he has worked with several filmmakers to skin into characters of diverse roles, makers have also expressed their gratefulness for having worked with him. In the good books of the creators, he could be Zack Snyder’s “warrior monk” but for Christopher McQuarrie, Cavill is the “classic movie star”.

As it is, McQuarrie’s crown for Cavill not only has a special mention but also for special reasons.

Why is Henry Cavill Christopher McQuarrie’s perfect movie star?

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Back in 2021, when the directors of Henry Cavill sat for an interview with The Hollywood Reporter along with the star, the Mission Impossible: Fallout director had the best response to Cavill’s stardom. He thought of him as the “classic movie star” while mentioning the two reasons why the industry lacks “movie stars” in abundance. He feels that not much has changed from “the water in the 1930s and ’40s”. Yet the industry lacks natural “movie stars”.

via Imago

Credits: Imago

The first reason for the same is that “the industry wanted and cultivated stars”. On the other hand, there were also “people ready to do the work required to be stars”. Despite the work being “hard”, Henry Cavill is one rare star who had been “hell-bent on doing the work”. As a result, his rise to being the classic movie star for McQuarrie has good enough reasons.

That being said, as McQuarrie’s confidence in Cavill shone in abundance, the same was also true for Zack Snyder when Cavill auditioned for the Man of Steel.

Zack Snyder’s casting call for Henry Cavill

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It is all thanks to Zack Snyder that Cavill’s depiction of Superman came to reality. But before all that, Snyder had absolutely surety that Cavill would master this blue latex spandex suit to become synonymous with Superman. Talking to The Hollywood Reporter, he recalled the first ever time his “warrior monk” suited up in Superman’s costume. Snyder said, “But when Henry came out and even the crusty grips we hired for the test got quiet”.

From that very moment, the crew knew “he had just the right energy”. Snyder remembered how everyone was like “Oh, he’s Superman”. While one can altogether imagine the first time Cavill put on the Superman costume, the theatrical score only came to visualization from Snyder’s expressions. Therefore, it is safe to say Cavill has the right amount of charisma to woo not just the audience but his creators as well.

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What do you think of Christopher McQuarrie’s opinion about Henry Cavill? Let us know in the comments below!